Khmer–Cham wars

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Khmer–Cham wars were a series of conflicts and contests between states of the Khmer Empire and Champa, later involving Đại Việt, that lasted from the mid-10th century to the early 13th century in mainland Southeast Asia. The first conflict began in 950 AD when Khmer troops sacked the Cham principality of Kauthara. Tensions between the Khmer Empire and Champa reached a climax in the middle of the 12th century when both deployed field armies and waged devastating wars against each other. The conflicts ended after the Khmer army voluntarily retreated from occupying Champa in 1220.

History and outcomes

Khmer invasion of Kauthara (950)

Around 950, the Angkorian army under Rajendravarman II crossed the forest, pillaged the temple of Po Nagar in Kauthara and carried off the golden statue of Bhagavati in the temple, Champa's holiest deity. The invasion however ended in a "bloody defeat".^[1] In 965, the Cham King Jaya Indravaman I restored the temple and rebuilt the statue of the goddess to replace the one stolen by the Khmer. ^[2][1]

Khmer invasions of Northern Champa (1074–1080)

In 1074,

Unable to overwhelm the Cham, Suryavarman appointed Prince Harideva, a Cham royalty of Cambodian background, as the puppet king of Champa in Vijaya. In 1149, Harivarman marched his army northward to Vijaya, besieging the city, vanquishing Harideva's army at the battle of Mahisa, then executed Harideva along with all of his Cambodian–Cham officials and military, therefore ended Suryavarman's occupation of northern Champa.[10] Harivarman then reunited the kingdom. A royal pretender, Vamsaraja, attacked Harivarman with highland troops but was defeated and escaped to Đại Việt. Later Vamsaraja was crushed by Harivarman and slain during the Battle of Mỹ Sơn in 1150.^[13]

Cham invasions of Angkor (1170, 1177–1181)

After securing peace with Đại Việt in 1170, Cham forces under

The Khmer empire was in the verge of collapse. Jayavarman VII from the north coalesced an army to battle the invaders. He had campaigned against the Chams in his youth, in the 1140s, and participated in a campaign in Cham capital Vijaya. His army won a series of unprecedented victories over the Cham, and by 1181 after winning a decisive naval battle, Jayavarman had rescued the empire and expelled the Cham.^[19]

Jayavarman VII's conquest of Champa (1190–1203)

In 1190, the Khmer king Jayavarman VII appointed a Cham prince named Vidyanandana, who had defected to Jayavarman in 1182 and had been educated at Angkor, to lead the Khmer army. Vidyanandana defeated the Chams, and proceeded to occupy Vijaya and captured Jaya Indravarman IV, whom he sent back to Angkor as a prisoner.^[19][20] Adopting the title of Shri Suryavarmadeva (or Suryavarman), Vidyanandana made himself king of Panduranga, which became a Khmer vassal. He made Prince In, a brother-in-law of Jayavarman VII, "King Suryajayavarmadeva in the Nagara of Vijaya" (or Suryajayavarman). In 1191, a revolt at Vijaya drove Suryajayavarman back to Cambodia and enthroned Jaya Indravarman V (Jaya Indravarman oṅ Vatuv). Vidyanandana, assisted by Jayavarman VII, retook Vijaya, killing both Jaya Indravarman IV and Jaya Indravarman V, then "reigned without opposition over the Kingdom of Champa,"^[20][21] declaring his independence from the Khmer Empire. Jayavarman VII responded by launching several invasions of Champa in 1192, 1195, 1198–1199, 1201-1203. The Khmer later also had double bow crossbows mounted on elephants, which Michel Jacq Hergoualc’h suggest were elements of Cham mercenaries in Jayavarman VII's army.^[18]

Khmer armies under Jayavarman VII continued campaigning against Champa until the Chams were finally defeated in 1203.^[22] A Cham renegade-Prince ong Dhanapatigräma, overthrew and expelled his ruling nephew Vidyanandana/Suryavarman to Dai Viet, completing the Khmer conquest of Champa.^[12] From 1203 to 1220, Champa as a Khmer province was ruled by a puppet government led by either ong Dhanapatigräma and then prince Angsaräja, son of Harivarman I, who would later become Jaya Paramesvaravarman II. In 1207, Angsaräja accompanied a Khmer army with Burmese and Siamese mercenacy contingents to battle against the Yvan (Dai Viet) army.^[23] Following the dwindling Khmer military presence and voluntary Khmer evacuation of Champa in 1220, Angsaräja took over the reins of government peacefully, proclaiming himself Jaya Paramesvaravarman II, and restored Champa's independence.^[24][21]

See also

• Sino–Cham war
• History of the Cham–Vietnamese wars

References

Citation

Bibliography